The White House on Sunday issued a statement condemning a fatal knife attack in Paris, the latest in a recent string of terrorism-linked incidents in France that have…
The White House on Sunday issued a statement condemning a fatal knife attack in Paris, the latest in a recent string of terrorism-linked incidents in France that have left hundreds of people dead.
« The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s terrorist attack in Paris. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, » the statement read.
« We stand in solidarity with the French people and their government against this vicious act of terrorism, and pledge any assistance needed. Acts like this only strengthen the resolve of the global coalition to defeat ISIS and drive it out of existence. »
The suspect was heard shouting « Allahu akbar » as he went on a rampage in the city’s Opera district on Saturday, killing one man and injuring others.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, though authorities said they were still working to determine the veracity of the claim.
The suspected assailant was revealed on Sunday to be a Chechnya-born Frenchman known publicly as Khamzat A. French media reported his last name to be Azimov.
According to the French government, the suspect had been on a terrorism watchlist since 2016.
The White House on Sunday also released a readout of President Trump ‘s phone call with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron the day before, though the attack wasn’t mentioned. It wasn’t clear if the call took place before or after the incident.
France has seen a string of violent attacks over the past several years, including a terrorist attack in Paris in 2015 that left 130 people dead. Another attack, which took place in Nice in 2016,killed 86 people.
France is one of the U. S.’s key allies in the fight against ISIS. The country has also intervened in Mali to counter an insurgency by Islamist rebels there.
